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Your local branch of Living Streets (formerly the Pedestrians Association) is presently carrying out a West Cheshire Pedestrian Actions Survey online. It is aimed at people who live and or work in West Cheshire who walk, run, or use a wheelchair or mobility scooter.
The survey is located on the Living Streets Homepage (a link to the survey is on the right of the homepage). The closing date for responses is until 30 June 2010.
Since we launched the website in 2008, Handbridge.com has received more Emails from local residents, about parking, than any other issue. Many of the comments we receive about major planning applications are concerns about potential traffic and parking issues.
Residents are particularly concerned about the traffic and parking impact of the University's acquisition of County Hall and the sale of the former Bank of Scotland site. We all know, from our first hand experiences of the Bank, that a travel plan is not really worth the paper it is written on.
As those who were involved will recall the Bank submitted a travel plan, as part of the original planning application, where they promised to manage staff parking and provide adequate facilities. After only a short time, the Bank reneged on that promise and despite the best efforts of former City Councillors Ruth Davidson and Stephen Mosley in trying to negotiate a solution with the Bank, the problem continued. Residents who contacted the Bank were told to contact the Police as "it is not our problem". So much for corporate responsibility!
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A member of Bank staff obstructs a resident's driveway
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You may also recall that a member of Bank staff blocked in a community midwife who was on call. The Police were called and they persuaded him to move his car after which he had the audacity to write to the local papers and criticise the Police actions as a "waste of their time". He might have addopted a different attitude if it had been a member of his family who needed the services of the midwife.
Handbridge resident Alex Thynne, trustee and campaigns co-ordinator for the Chester and District Federation of the Blind, told us about the problems that inconsiderately parked cars on pavements around Handbridge cause for blind people. He also said "overhanging trees and uncared for hedges, as well as the numberous shop display boards, are a major hazard."
Fortunately in Handbridge, we have a good relationship with our Neighbourhood Policing Team who, alongside wardens from Cheshire West and Chester Council, have been very active in enforcing regulations recently.
However, many feel that a long term solution is needed and, alongside residents' groups, schools, businesses and other bodies in Handbridge, we will continue to press for appropriate action to be taken. We were promised a review of the existing parking arrangements by the Council's Highways team and advised, on 27 May 2009, that an engineer would be in touch to arrange a review (we have the Email correspondence and logs of phone calls to back this up) within a few weeks. Despite reminders, and the kind intervention of local Councillors, we are still waiting.
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